Through The Eyes Of Love
by EOLuvFrv
Summary: A victim, who was very special to them, is suddenly and unexpectedly dropped back into Elliot and Olivia's lives. A roller coaster of emotions ensues as they rush to rescue the young girl who quickly and easily won their hearts. Can they somehow become a family? Or will their efforts be thwarted by others who do not have the girl's best interests at heart?
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I own only Belinda! SVU and all recognizable characters belong to Dick Wolf.**_

_**A/N: Many thanks to both of my betas! And a huge thank you to my friend, TStabler, who is screening this fic as a special favor to me! :~D**_

_**Yes, Elliot and Olivia are married, very much in love AND are still partners in this fic. I know that married couples are not allowed to be partners in the NYPD, but this is fanfic land!**_

_**I'm going to rate this as T for now. I may change it to M later, not necessarily for explicit material, but for material that may be highly emotional and/or triggering.**_

_**That being said… I hope you enjoy this chapter. As always, please leave me a review and let me know what you think!**_

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Chapter One

"Yes, thank you for calling," Detective Elliot Stabler sighed as he replaced the handset of his desk phone on the cradle.

"What is it?" his partner of over a decade and wife of the past two years, Detective Olivia Stabler, asked without looking up from her paperwork.

He paused, watching her cautiously, for a moment before speaking. "Belinda Hensley's in the hospital," he spoke softly, knowing how attached she had been to the 15 year old victim that they had worked with a couple of times before.

She dropped her pen and looked up at Elliot across their joined desks. "What?" she asked, only slightly surprised. "Where? What happened?" she fired the questions off rapidly, already on her feet and reaching for her jacket.

Elliot stood, grabbing his jacket as well. "Mercy General, Burn Unit," he answered as he followed her out of the squad room.

"What?" Olivia stopped short and whirled around to face her partner, shock written all over her face.

He stumbled as he nearly ran into her, thanks to her sudden stop.

"Burn Unit? What the heck happened?" she asked, her slight surprise now registering in the higher end of the spectrum.

"The nurse didn't say," Elliot responded as he led Olivia toward the elevator.

"Well what _**did**_ the nurse say?"

"Just that Belinda has been admitted, showing signs of being attacked. And that she refuses to talk to anyone, except you."

Olivia sighed. "I was afraid this would happen again."

Fifteen minutes later, they rushed into the Burn Unit. "Belinda Hensley…" Olivia asked, slightly out of breath as she and Elliot both showed their shields to the nurse behind the desk.

The nurse glanced down at a chart before looking back up at them. "Room 214."

The two detectives were running down the hall before the nurse could say anything more.

"You'll have to put on gowns before you go in!" She called after them.

Elliot raised his hand and waved without looking back, letting the nurse know that he heard her instructions.

After quickly pulling on protective gowns, masks and hair nets, they hurried into Belinda's hospital room.

Olivia gasped, almost silently, when she got her first glimpse of the young girl. "Oh, Lindy…" the nickname, that she had given the girl shortly after they met, slipped easily from her lips.

Belinda turned toward the voice that she barely heard and slowly opened her eyes. She recognized the detective immediately, despite the protective coverings. "Olivia…" the pain was evident in her voice as well as in her eyes.

Olivia quickly crossed the room, tears in her eyes as she took in the sight of Belinda's numerous burns and injuries.

"Careful," a nurse warned from the other side of the bed. "Don't touch any of her burns."

Olivia nodded as she reached out and gently wiped away the young girl's tears, being careful to avoid the burns on her cheeks.

"You came…" there was a note of surprise in Belinda's pain and tear filled voice as she inhaled raggedly.

"Of course I came, Sweetheart," Olivia answered quietly through the protective mask that covered her nose and mouth. "I came as soon as I got the call that you wanted me."

Elliot stepped up behind his wife as he took in the sight of the battered and broken girl for himself.

Belinda's eyes flitted up to Elliot's face momentarily; then returned to Olivia as more tears rolled down her burned and bruised face.

"What happened, honey?" Olivia whispered, her voice full of compassion. "Tell us what happened. Who did this to you?"

Belinda's eyes slowly closed as her breathing became even more ragged than it was before.

"Lindy…" Olivia called gently.

The young girl made no move to open her eyes or to respond.

"Lindy…" Olivia called again, a little louder. Her voice took on a slightly panicked sound as she still received no response. "Belinda! Open your eyes, Belinda!"

The young teen forced her eyes open even more slowly than the first time.

A small sigh of relief escaped Olivia's lips at her obedience. "There you are, that's my girl," she gently and lightly laid her hand on Belinda's forehead, being mindful to avoid her injuries. "Talk to me, Sweetheart. Tell me who did this."

Belinda opened her mouth to speak as she shifted uncomfortably, but a cry of pain came out instead. She bit her bottom lip, trying not to scream, as her movements sent searing pain through her splinted and hastily bandaged limbs.

The nurse spoke again from the other side of the bed as several more medical personnel entered the room. "This will have to wait, detectives. We have to get her into surgery, right now."

"Surgery?" Elliot spoke up as he and Olivia were quickly moved to the side by the nurses. They unlocked the wheels of Belinda's gurney and moved it toward the door.

"She has multiple fractures in her left arm and in her right leg. Surgery is the only option, the doctor has to pin the bones back together."

Elliot and Olivia followed Belinda's gurney out of the room and down the hall as far as the medical personnel would allow them.

Reaching a set of double doors, one of the nurses turned around and held her hand out to stop the two detectives. "This is as far as you go. You'll contaminate our sterile field."

"I'll be here when you wake up, Sweetie," Olivia called just before the double doors closed and Belinda's gurney was rushed toward the operating room.

Once she was out of sight, Olivia and Elliot peeled off the protective gowns, masks and hair nets; then tossed them into the designated receptacle. They returned to the front of the Burn Unit and approached the woman, who was working busily behind the nurses' desk.

"Excuse me," Elliot spoke apologetically. "Sorry to bother you, but is there a doctor around? Or can you fill us in on the situation with Belinda Hensley please?"

"Sure," the cheerful nurse replied with a smile. "Go have a seat in the lobby and I'll page the head of the unit for you."

The two detectives moved to the empty lobby and slowly lowered themselves into the large plush chairs.

"I knew something else was gonna happen to her," Olivia mumbled.

"There was nothing else we could have done," Elliot said as he reached over and patted her shoulder gently. His wife was hurting; he could see the devastation in her eyes. He wanted to pull her into his arms and just hold her until her pain stopped. But they were on the job. The only two reasons they had been allowed to remain partners after they married was their high case closure rate and their ability to separate their personal life from their professional lives. It was mandatory that their personal relationship never crossed the line into their work lives.

"I shouldn't have let her go back to them," Olivia shook her head and quickly wiped away her tears before they could fall.

"You had to, Liv. The judge gave custody back to her parents." he said softly, trying to assure her that Belinda's injuries weren't her fault.

"Well, it won't happen again," her voice was laced with determination. "It won't happen again. I won't let it."

Elliot's forehead wrinkled slightly in a frown of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"We're licensed foster parents, El."

He nodded as he watched her face closely.

She sighed before continuing, "I want to take Lindy home with us."

Elliot nodded again. He knew his wife's heart; and he had know ahead of time that she was going to want to take the young girl away from the abusive home she was trapped in.

"We can't let her go back to them again. Next time, she won't survive…"

~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~

Only a few moments passed before a tall, blonde lady walked into the lobby.

Olivia spotted her first and quickly stood.

"Hi," the blonde approached with a kind smile. "I'm Dr. Clanton."

Olivia nodded, "I'm Olivia… uh… Detective Stabler." The nervousness was evident in her voice and in her flustered speech. She motioned to Elliot as he stood and stepped up at her side. "This is my husband… uh… partner, Detective Stabler."

"I'm Elliot," he said as he extended his hand.

The pretty doctor smiled reassuringly as she shook his hand. Then she reached over and took ahold of Olivia's hand. "Breathe, Detective," she spoke softly as she gently squeezed the other woman's hand. "Belinda's going to be fine… physically. It's going to take her awhile to heal, but I expect her to make a complete recovery."

Olivia quietly blew out a breath she wasn't even aware she was holding. "What happened to her?"

Dr. Clanton gently dropped Olivia's hand and sighed. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "All she would say is, and I quote, 'Olivia, I want Olivia.' I tried everything I could think of to get her to talk, but nothing worked."

Olivia nodded. "Lindy's very withdrawn. She's been through way too much for her age… for any age really."

"It took a lot of time and even more patience, but she finally got to where she will talk to me," Elliot added with a sad smile. "For the longest time, Liv was the only one who could get her to talk."

"You're both detectives…" Dr. Clanton said, letting her question hang, unfinished.

"Yes," Olivia answered. "Special Victims Unit."

The doctor nodded slightly. "It seems like she has been sexually assaulted."

Olivia sighed quietly as she closed her eyes, trying to hold back her tears.

"Did you run a rape kit?" Elliot asked after a moment of silence.

"No - -" the doctor started to respond but was quickly cut off.

"What? Why the heck not?" Olivia practically yelled.

"Because her other injuries, the burns and the multiple fractures in her arm and leg, were more urgent. They needed immediate care."

Olivia sighed, knowing the doctor was right. She looked up at Elliot. "No need in doing a rape kit later. They'll wash all evidence away in surgery."

"I'm sorry, Detectives."

Elliot shook his head. "It's ok, don't worry about it. I'm pretty sure we know who raped her anyway."

Dr. Clanton tilted her head slightly to the side as she looked at Elliot and Olivia with a sad smile. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I wish I could help more… it's just out of my hands."

Olivia swallowed back tears. "It's ok, we understand."

"After surgery, Belinda will be in recovery for a short period, then moved to ICU. When she's well enough, she'll be moved to a regular room," the doctor began to explain.

"ICU and then a regular room?" Olivia questioned. "She won't be moved back to the burn unit?"

"No," Dr. Clanton smiled. "Her burns are not as serious as we first thought. Most of them are just first degree burns, only a couple of second degree."

"But it's serious enough for her to be in ICU?" Elliot asked.

"Yes, her other injuries could potentially be life-threatening."

Olivia gasped. "Life-threatening?"

"It appears that she took quite a nasty blow to the head. I suspect she has a concussion."

"You suspect?" Elliot frowned.

"I didn't get a chance to thoroughly examine her," Dr. Clanton admitted.

"So…" Olivia's voice turned icy. "Not only did you _**NOT **_examine Belinda properly… you also allowed her to be put under anesthesia, knowing that she most likely has a head injury!"

"I know it's not the best possible option," the doctor replied kindly. "But Belinda needs immediate surgery. Not only to repair her arm and leg, but she's also bleeding internally. They have to go in, find the source and stop the bleeding."

Olivia sighed as tears filled her eyes once again. She couldn't stop them this time. She reached up and brushed the tears, almost angrily, from her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Detectives," Dr. Clanton apologized again. "We're doing the best we can. And at the moment, the best thing for her is surgery. In light of her head injury and possible concussion, they are using the mildest anesthesia and giving her the lowest possible dose."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be pushy or rude," Olivia began. "It's just…" her voice trembled as she tried to explain. "Lindy's just…" her voice trailed off as she shrugged, not knowing exactly how to explain.

The blonde doctor nodded in understanding. "Belinda's special," she said. "She's more than one of the victims you work with everyday."

"Exactly," Olivia replied as tears poured freely from her eyes and rolled down both of her cheeks.

Elliot reached over, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

Olivia turned into her husband and buried her face in his chest as she cried.

In a highly unusual behavior, Elliot and Olivia allowed the line between their professional lives and their personal lives to blur. He held her close as she allowed herself, just this once, to break down. Tears pooled in his own eyes as he rubbed his wife's back. "It's ok, Love."

"Come on," Dr. Clanton's voice was soft. "I'll walk you to the OR waiting room and make sure the surgeon knows to come speak to you when surgery is over."

Elliot nodded and followed the doctor out, holding Olivia close as they walked.

A few minutes later, Dr. Clanton stepped into the OR waiting room where Elliot and Olivia sat. "Ok, I left a message for Dr. Williams to talk to you and fill you in once she finishes with Belinda's surgery."

"Thank you," Olivia answered as she exhaled slowly, trying to keep her emotions in check.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you more," the petite doctor said as she shook hands with both of them. "But I think you'll like Dr. Williams. She's a great doctor and a highly skilled surgeon. She's kind and is very good at what she does. She'll be straight with you about what's going on and what to expect."

A few minutes later, Elliot and Olivia sat in the waiting room alone.

Olivia gripped her husband's hand as she stared straight ahead, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

"Sweetheart…" Elliot spoke softly, trying not to startle her but wanting to draw her out at the same time.

She turned to look at him, tears still shimmering in her eyes but not falling. "I want her, El."

"I know, Love."

"Child Protection Services has to take her away from them now. They have to see what's going on now."

"We don't know for sure what happened. Lindy hasn't said anything yet," he reminded her gently.

"You and I both know who did this to her."

Elliot nodded silently in agreement.

"We're licensed foster parents, El. We could take her in."

"Liv… I know how much you love this little girl and how attached you are to her. But that's no guarantee that CPS will place her in our care, no matter how much we love her and want her."

Olivia smiled through her tears as she looked up at him. "We."

"Huh? We what?" he frowned slightly, confused about what had apparently delighted his wife.

"You said 'we'… you said 'we love her and want her'."

"Oh," he smiled as it suddenly dawned on him. Now he knew what had make his wife happy. "Yes, we. I love Lindy too, honey. It's hard _**NOT**_ to love her. She's a good kid."

"She needs parental figures who love her, not abuse her."

"I know."

"We can give her that," she said, squeezing his hand.

"Yeah, we can…" he sighed and leaned over, maintaining direct eye contact with Olivia. "But CPS is gonna make us jump through hoops."

She bit her bottom lip, almost nervously, before asking hopefully. "So we can try?"

* * *

_**A/N 2: So, will Liv and El be allowed to foster Belinda? Why is Belinda so withdrawn? Why will she only talk to Liv and/or El? What exactly does Belinda have to face and deal with?**_

_**These answers and more coming up next… if you want. Let me know! Please review!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I own only Belinda. All recognizable characters belong to Dick Wolf.**_

_**A/N: As always, many, many thanks to my betas. You ladies are the best and I love you both! **_

_**Another special thanks to TStabler for screening this for me. You are a dear friend and truly a blessing!**_

_**We begin to see a little of Belinda's mindset in this chapter. Please review, I love to hear what you think!**_

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Chapter Two

Several hours later, Olivia and Elliot still sat in the waiting room.

Olivia stood and anxiously paced around the room as they waited on Belinda's surgeon.

"Honey, come sit down," Elliot coaxed. "I'm sure the doctor will be out to talk to us as soon as she can."

Olivia walked back to the couch where Elliot waited but didn't sit down. "What's taking so long?" She ran both hands up her face and over her head. "They said that they took her to recovery over 30 minutes ago."

"They're probably just getting her settled," he spoke quietly, trying to calm his wife, even as the same thoughts and worries ran through his own mind as well.

"What if something went wrong?" her voice was strained as she turned her panic-filled eyes to him.

"Sweetheart…" Elliot stood and gently pulled her into his arms. "Breathe. Take a breath. You're not gonna be able to help Lindy if you send yourself into a panic attack," he said as he held her close and gently rubbed her back in a soothing manner.

Olivia sighed, knowing her husband was right. She forced herself to take a couple of slow, deep breaths and turned her face into his broad, muscular chest.

He tightened his arms around her, thankful that she was beginning to calm down.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into his chest.

"It's ok, baby. You don't have to apologize," he spoke softly, letting his lips rest against the top of her head. "I understand."

"I've never been this worried about any of our other victims," she said as she slowly pulled back and looked up at Elliot.

He nodded. "That's because no other victim has touched you as deeply as Belinda does."

Olivia sighed. "I just want to see her. I need to see, with my own eyes, that she's really ok."

He led her back to the couch and sat down, gently pulling her down next to him. He held her close without saying a word, knowing that what she needed most in that moment was his silent understanding.

Several minutes passed as they sat in silence. After a few long minutes, Olivia spoke softly. "We can really take Lindy home with us?"

"We can try," he answered quietly. "It depends on CPS, but we'll do everything we can to make it possible."

"I know… but that's not what I meant."

Elliot pulled back slightly, just enough to look down at his wife. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" she bit her bottom lip as she hesitated for a brief moment. "Are you ok with it?"

"With what?" he asked. "Taking Lindy in?"

Olivia nodded silently.

"Of course I am, Sweetheart. I love her too."

She looked up at him with a small smile. "I'll call CPS after we hear from the surgeon."

"I know you're going to want to stay here with Belinda. Do you want me to talk to the Captain and tell him you need some time off?"

"I'd really appreciate it. I really don't want to leave her here alone. She's hurt too badly and won't be able to stand up for herself or defend herself if her father or uncle comes by."

"Then it's a good thing you'll be here to watch over her."

Olivia opened her mouth to respond but stopped suddenly when a lady in scrubs walked into the waiting room.

The tall woman glanced around the waiting room before her gaze landed on the only two people there. "Detectives Stabler and…" she paused briefly. "Stabler?" she asked, not entirely sure she had the right names.

Olivia and Elliot both stood quickly.

"Yes," Olivia answered. "I'm Olivia and this is my husband…" she shook her head, trying to get herself back into work mode. "My partner, Elliot."

The newcomer smiled and gave a brief nod. "I'm Dr. Williams," she said as she pulled her surgical cap off and ran her fingers through her brunette pixie cut hair. "I received a note from Dr. Clanton with instructions to come and talk to you about Belinda Hensley."

"Yes ma'am," Elliot nodded. "We're the detectives on her case."

The doctor motioned to the couch. "Let's sit down for a minute."

Elliot and Olivia resumed their place on the couch as Dr. Williams grabbed a nearbychair and pulled it over so she could sit, facing the couple.

The middle aged doctor covered her mouth as she yawned. "Sorry," she apologized. "It's been a long day."

"Extremely long," Olivia agreed.

"Well," Dr. Williams began. "The good news is Belinda's going to be fine. Recovery will take some time, but she's going to make it."

Olivia sighed in relief as she squeezed her husband's hand.

"The bad news," the doctor continued. "Is that she has some pretty severe injuries. Her left arm was more damaged than we thought going in. We knew there were multiple fractures in both her arm and her right leg, but we didn't realize that her arm wasn't just fractured. It was shattered."

"Shattered?" Elliot asked. "But you said she's going to be ok."

"She is," the brunette doctor reassured them. "She's going to be fine. It's just going to take awhile for her to recover, especially her arm. She might not ever regain full use of her arm. We won't know for sure until the cast comes off and she has some physical therapy."

"And her leg?" Olivia asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"Her leg had multiple fractures but it was not shattered; it should heal quicker than her arm," Dr. Williams explained. "However, the internal bleeding was a little worrisome."

"You were able to stop it, right?" Olivia's voice shook a little more and she nervously gripped Elliot's hand even tighter than before.

"Yes. It took us awhile to pinpoint where the bleeding was coming from, but we did find it."

"Where was it coming from?" Elliot asked with a frown of concern.

"Her spleen."

"Spleen. You can live without that, right?" Olivia bit her bottom lip, trying to reign in her nervousness.

"Yes," the doctor answered with a smile. "We removed her spleen and we're pretty sure we stopped all of the bleeding."

"Pretty sure? Meaning you might not have?" Olivia's eyes widened in alarm.

"We want to watch her closely to make sure she doesn't develop any new internal bleeds." Dr. Williams explained. "But I seriously doubt there will be any more bleeding," she hurried to add. "We're just being cautious."

Elliot nodded. "Dr. Clanton said that she took a blow to the head and probably has a concussion."

The doctor leaned back in the chair and nodded in response. "We're keeping an eye on that as well. She's going to be in good deal of pain for a few days."

"Can her pain be managed with pain meds?" he pressed.

"We believe so. We're going to try to keep it under control as best as we can."

"When can we see her?" Olivia looked at the other woman, her eyes almost pleading.

Dr. Williams frowned in confusion. "You're the detectives on her case, right?"

Olivia nodded.

"I think I should contact her family first. They should probably be the first to see her."

"Doctor…" Olivia sighed. "Belinda's family… Well, I wouldn't call them family at all."

"But they're her next of kin."

Olivia looked at Elliot and sighed again, knowing that she was going to have to reveal more to the doctor than she really wanted to.

Elliot sighed as well and shrugged slightly. "You don't understand, Dr. Williams."

"Understand what?" the doctor asked kindly.

"Her family, and I use the word family lightly. Her family is most likely the ones who caused her injuries."

"What?" the shock registered across the doctor's face.

"We're from Special Victims Unit," Olivia added softly. "We've known Belinda for several years now. When she first came to us, she was only 13 years old."

"Her… her family…" Dr. Williams continued struggling to wrap her mind around this new information. "Her family hurt her?"

"Most likely her dad or her uncle or maybe even both," Elliot answered. "We're here because we received a call from the burn unit right after Belinda was admitted. She was asking for my wife."

Olivia reached over and touched the doctor's arm lightly. "Please Dr. Williams," she practically begged. "Lindy needs us. There's no telling what will happen if one of her family members visit and finds her alone."

"It's best if one of us or one of our colleagues is with her at all times. I know that, technically, no visitors are allowed in Recovery. But can you please make an exception this time?" Elliot continued.

"Please?" Olivia added. "For Belinda's safety…"

Still shocked, Dr. Williams nodded slowly. "I'll make sure the staff knows that…" she shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "That one of you should always be with her and not to kick you out when visiting hours are over."

"So, one of us can go sit with her? Even in Recovery?"

"Yes, I'll personally take you to her."

"Thank you," Olivia sighed in relief and squeezed Elliot's hand.

Elliot squeezed back with a small smile. "You go sit with her," he encouraged. "You're the one she will want to see."

"Are you sure?" she asked as she turned to face her husband.

He nodded. "I'll go back to the house, fill Captain in on what's happened and tell him you need some time off. Then I'll call CPS and talk to them about Lindy."

"Thanks," she gave him a small smile then took his hand and stood.

He pulled her close momentarily and gave her a quick kiss before walking toward the door. "I'll be back later," he promised. "But call me if you need me before then."

She nodded. "I will," she replied, her eyes following him until he was out of sight. Then she turned to Dr. Williams. "Will you take me to Lindy now?"

"Sure," the doctor stood and pushed the chair back where it belonged; then led Olivia out of the waiting room, through a set of double doors and down a long hallway to Recovery.

They stopped in front of a door and looked through the wall of windows.

Olivia gasped quietly when she saw Belinda hooked to numerous machines. "She's so pale…" tears pooled in Olivia's eyes as she looked at all the wires connected to the young girl.

"She lost a lot of blood," Dr. Williams explained softly. "She's not in any pain… not right now anyway. She will be after she wakes up and the pain medicine wears off. But like I said before, we'll do our best to keep her pain at a minimum."

"How long will she be on the machines?"

"At least a couple of days. ICU nurses will take the wires off once she is stable enough."

Olivia bit her bottom lip. "How long until she wakes up?"

"I can't tell you for sure, but it should be soon. Probably within the next hour or so."

"I'm…" Olivia's voice cracked as she struggled to hold back her emotions. "I'm gonna go sit with her. I wanna be there when she wakes up."

"I'll go and make sure that the staff knows that normal visitation rules don't apply in Belinda's case. Just be prepared to show your badge at least once each shift change until the nurses get to know you. Our staff is very vigilant when it comes to our patients' visitors."

"Good. That means better safety."

"Yes," the doctor replied then motioned to the open door. "Go. Sit with her."

Olivia nodded. "Thank you," she whispered before slipping into the room.

Dr. Williams watched through the wall of windows as the detective moved over to the bed and gently kissed the sleeping teen's forehead. The doctor sighed then walked off, on her way to talk to the Recovery and the ICU staff.

Olivia looked around the room but there was no chair. She started to sit on the floor but stopped when she saw a doctor's rolling stool on the other side of the room. She walked over and retrieved the stool, bringing it over to Belinda's bedside. Then sat down and reached over the hospital bedrail and took the girl's uninjured hand in her own. She squeezed gently. "Hey Lindy," she whispered. "I'm right here, Sweetheart. And I'll be here when you wake up, just like I promised."

~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~

The next hour and a half passed slowly but Olivia didn't move from Belinda's bedside. She didn't let go of the young teen's hand and her eyes rarely moved from Belinda's face.

Soon, the girl began to stir slightly.

Olivia noticed right away; she continued to watch, almost holding her breath.

A quiet groan slipped from Belinda's lips but her eyes remained closed.

"Lindy?" Olivia spoke softly. She continued to hold the girl's hand with one hand as she raised her other hand to Belinda's face. She laid her hand gently against the teen's face, being mindful of her injuries. "Lindy? Are you awake, honey?"

Belinda's forehead creased into a frown, still without opening her eyes. She groaned again, only a little louder than the first time.

"Open your eyes, Sweetheart," Olivia encouraged. She watched as the young teen tried, unsuccessfully, to comply. "Come on, Darling. You can do it. Open your eyes for me."

"Liv?" Belinda's voice was raspy and hoarse.

"I'm right here," Olivia gently squeezed the girl's hand. "Open your eyes."

Belinda slowly and with great effort, forced her eyes open; blinking a few times to clear her blurry vision and focus on the detective sitting next to her bed.

"Good girl," Olivia praised quietly as she gently brushed Belinda's hair back. "There you are," she smiled with tears in her eyes.

"You're still here," the teen's raspy voice was quiet.

"Of course I am, Sweetie. Just like I promised."

"I'm… I'm glad you're here."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you," Olivia said, addressing the unspoken fear that she knew plagued Belinda's mind. "I'm staying right here with you."

"But…"

"Shh…" Olivia soothed. "Everything's already been taken care of. I'm here, right where I'm needed and where I need to be."

Belinda closed her eyes briefly, trying her best not to cry.

"Hey, hey, hey… What's wrong? Are you hurting? I'll ask the nurses to give you something for pain."

"I just woke up… pain medicine will put me back to sleep."

"But if you're hurting, that's what you need."

"Not just yet," Belinda whispered as she forced her eyes open again.

Olivia stood and turned toward the door but stopped when Belinda tightened her grip on her hand. "Please don't leave," a slight panic rose in her voice.

"I'm not leaving you, Lindy," Olivia reassured the young girl. "I'm just gonna let the nurse know you're awake. They're gonna move you to ICU."

"ICU? They won't let you stay with me in ICU."

"It's already been taken care of," she reminded the teen. "I've been cleared to stay with you around the clock."

Belinda relaxed a little and released her grip on Olivia's hand. A searing pain surged through her body causing her to wince and hiss as she drew a breath in through gritted teeth.

"Hang on, Sweetheart," Olivia said before she stepped just outside the door to get a nurse.

Tears pooled in Belinda's eyes and streamed down her face as her body practically throbbed in pain.

~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~

"Close your eyes, let the medicine work," Olivia soothed half an hour later after Belinda was moved from Recovery to ICU and pain medicine was administered through her IV line.

"My head's pounding too," the young girl said as she closed her eyes, trying to ward off some of the piercing pain.

"That's because you have a concussion."

"You're not supposed to sleep with a concussion," Belinda slowly forced her eyes open again.

"You can sleep, someone just has to wake you up every couple of hours," Olivia explained as she gently ran her fingers through the girl's hair. "Close your eyes," she coaxed again. "I'll be here and will wake you up."

"Please don't leave," the teen begged again as she had earlier in Recovery.

"I'm not leaving you, I promise. You don't have to worry."

"What if he comes here?" Belinda whispered as she fought against the sleep that threatened to overwhelm her due to the pain medication.

"He won't."

"But what if he does? Or one of the others?"

"Relax, my Love," Olivia whispered softly as she tried to assure the terrified girl. "No one's going to hurt you ever again, I promise."

"But…"

"They'll have to go through me to get to you. And I promise, no one's getting through me."

Belinda seemed to relax a little and began to breathe a little easier with Olivia's words. "Promise?" she whispered as her eyes began to close.

"I swear," Olivia leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Just rest, Sweetie, just rest. I'll be right here." She sighed, almost silently, watching Belinda's eyes finally slide shut and her breathing even out as the pain medication overtook her. She pulled a chair over and took a seat right next to the girl's bedside. "No more," she whispered a promise to the sleeping teen. "No more."

* * *

_**A/N2: What exactly happened to Belinda and what is she so afraid of? Are Elliot and Olivia really going to be able to protect her? And how will the rest of the SVU "family" react?**_

_**This and more coming next… if you want! Leave me a review and let me know!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: Dick Wolf owns SVU and all recognizable characters. I own only Belinda.**_

_**A/N: As always, many thanks and much love to my betas and to TStabler, who so kindly has taken time to pre-screen this for me.**_

_**I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated. But this is a super long chapter for me, so I hope the length of it makes up for the long wait! **_

_**This chapter has some extremely harsh topics, especially near the end. It may seem like it's too harsh but things like this do happen in real life.**_

_**Please leave me a review and let me know what you think!**_

* * *

Chapter Three

Several Weeks Later

Olivia sat next to Belinda's wheelchair, holding the teen's uninjured right hand, as they waited for the judge to return with his verdict.

"He's going to let me keep staying with you, right?" Belinda whispered as she looked to Olivia for reassurance. "The judge is gonna let me stay with you?"

"I hope so, Sweetheart," Olivia answered truthfully. "We want you to stay. We enjoy having you with us."

"I'm nothing but trouble."

"What?" Olivia asked in surprise. "Honey, no. That's not true."

"Lindy, who told you that?" Elliot asked from where he sat on the other side of Belinda.

"My dad," she answered softly as she stared down at the floor.

"He's wrong, kiddo," Elliot said. "You're no trouble at all."

"He says that I'm nothing but trouble and that he should have just killed me when he had the chance, at least I would be out of the way," Belinda spoke quietly as tears filled her eyes. "He doesn't really want me, I don't know why he's fighting for custody of me."

Olivia gently pulled the young girl into a hug, being mindful of her remaining injuries. With a look of mixed horror and shock, she looked at Elliot over Belinda's head.

Elliot met his wife's gaze as he too reeled from what the teen had just revealed.

After a moment, Olivia pulled back a short distance, just enough to look Belinda in the eyes. "Oh Darling," she spoke softly. "I knew that your father feels that way, but I had no idea that he actually said that to you."

The young girl nodded. "Yeah, he says it all the time."

Olivia sighed and gently pulled Belinda back to her. She kissed the teen's cheek then whispered. "Don't believe him, Sweetheart. He's nuts."

Belinda nodded as tears pooled in her eyes.

"Shhh…" Olivia soothed as she wiped away the tears that rolled down her young charge's face. "You, my dear, deserve so much better than what you've had up until now."

The girl shook her head and more tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Ok," Casey said as she came up behind them. "The judge is on his way back."

Olivia pulled back from Belinda and kissed the top of her head before standing. "We'll be right behind you," she promised.

Elliot stood as well and gently squeezed the girl's shoulder, then put his arm around his wife's waist and led her back to their seats directly behind the prosecutor's table.

Casey sat down beside Belinda and gently laid her hand on her arm. "It's ok, honey."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Belinda whispered as she wiped away her remaining tears.

Casey stood as the judge entered. She reached over and gently squeezed the teen's uninjured hand, offering her silent support.

Olivia gripped Elliot's hand as they sat down once the judge was in place. "I'm so nervous," she whispered.

"Me too," Elliot admitted quietly.

The judge sighed and pulled his glasses off. He reached up and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "This has been a hard decision," he began. He looked across the courtroom to where Olivia and Elliot sat. "Detectives, it's obvious how much you love this young lady and that you've taken amazing care of her since she was released from the hospital."

Casey bit her bottom lip, not liking the way things seemed to be going.

Belinda looked at Casey, then back behind her at Olivia, her eyes wide with fear.

"And," the judge shifted his gaze to Belinda. "I can tell that you love the detectives as well. You've told me how much you want to continue to stay with them."

Belinda nodded, too afraid to speak.

"However, you testified that you can not remember who attacked you. And there is no evidence of abuse or neglect."

Tears pooled in the young teen's eyes and she fought to keep her breathing normal.

The judge looked over at the defense table where Belinda's parents sat then returned his gaze to Casey at the prosecutor's table. "I see no reason for the minor to be removed from the home. I'm ordering her to be returned to her parents' custody immediately."

Casey gasped, not believing that the ruling went so awry.

Belinda broke down in sobs as the judge banged his gavel. She looked behind her, "Livvy…" she cried.

Olivia jumped up and rushed over to Belinda, followed closely by Elliot. She gently wrapped her arms around the teen as tears flowed down her own face. "It's going to be ok," she whispered in the girl's ear. "We're not giving up, I promise. We're gonna fight for you."

"I don't wanna go with them," she sobbed as she held to Olivia as much as she could with her left arm still in a cast. "Please don't make me go."

"I don't want you to go, Darling," Olivia soothed. "I wish there was something I could do."

"Please…" she cried into Olivia's shoulder.

Olivia looked at Elliot over Belinda's head, tears rolling down her own face.

Elliot stepped closer and laid one hand on each of their shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Lindy. We're gonna do everything we can to get you back, I promise," he spoke quietly, knowing that the young girl needed the reassurance of their promises.

Only a couple of moments passed and they were left watching with broken hearts as Belinda was rolled away in her wheelchair, sobbing for them the entire time.

~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~

The days seemed to drag on as Elliot and Olivia, along with Casey's help, tried everything they could think of to get Belinda back. The only thing that made the days bearable for Olivia and Belinda was their daily phone calls after school.

One afternoon, a couple of months later, Olivia sat at her desk trying to complete her paperwork but her attention was constantly being drawn to her watch and the clock on the wall.

"Liv…" El called, drawing her attention away from the clock. "You're really antsy this afternoon. What's wrong?"

"It's getting late…" she bit her bottom lip nervously. "And Lindy hasn't called yet."

Elliot glanced down at his watch and frowned slightly.

"She's two hours late. She always calls long before now."

"I didn't realize it was this late," he responded.

"Something's not right. I can feel it," she said as she shook her head.

"Why don't you try calling her?"

"I did, twice, while you were in Cap's office."

"No answer?"

Olivia shook her head no.

Elliot frowned in concern. "That's odd. She always answers when she sees your number on her caller ID."

"I know, I'm really getting worried," she admitted softly.

"Well," he rubbed his chin. "What do you want to do? Wait it out? Or go check on her?"

She looked down at her watch again then stood. "I think we should go check on her. I've got a block of ice in my stomach, something's not right, I just know it."

Elliot nodded and stood as well. "Always trust your gut, it's usually the best lead."

"We're going to check on Lindy. Tell Cap for us. We'll be back," Olivia called to Fin as they walked out of the squad room.

Ten minutes later, Elliot pulled their squad car up to the curb in front of Belinda's house.

"Her parents' car isn't here," Olivia observed as they got out of the car and started up the walkway to the house.

"That's probably a good thing."

"No kidding," she muttered as they reached the front door.

Elliot raised his hand to knock but was stopped by his wife's hand on his arm. He turned to look at her, wondering why she had stopped him.

"El… look…" her eyes were focused on something in front of them.

He followed her gaze and frowned when he noticed that the door had been left slightly ajar.

In sync, as always, Elliot and Olivia both drew their guns; then slowly and quietly entered the house, guns aimed out in front of them. Carefully, they moved through the house, quickly confirming their suspicions that no one was home.

Sliding her gun back into the holster on her belt, Olivia made her way back toward the front of the house. She passed the entryway to the kitchen; then stopped and took a step back as something on the tile floor caught her eye. She crouched down, looking closely at the trail of small red droplets. She reached down and touched a droplet with one finger then rubbed her finger and thumb together. A frown of concern marred her face as she realized what the trail of droplets was. "El…" she called. "We've got blood."

Elliot hurried into the kitchen as Olivia rose from her crouched position. "Blood?" he asked anxiously.

She held her hand out to her husband, showing him the blood on her digits.

Together, they looked down at the droplets and followed the trail through the kitchen and to the halfway open, sliding glass door that led to the backyard.

Looking through the glass, Olivia was the first to spot Belinda, laying on her stomach with her face turned to the side, in the back driveway. "No!" she gasped as she quickly opened the sliding door the rest of the way and hurried outside. "Lindy!" she ran over to the gravel driveway and dropped down to her knees beside the unconscious teenager.

Elliot rushed over and dropped down to his knees as well. He pressed two fingers to the side of her neck and was relieved to feel a steady thump. "She's got a pulse."

Olivia breathed a sigh of relief as she gently brushed Belinda's hair back, revealing fresh bruises on her face.

"Call a bus," he spoke calmly as his gaze traveled down the girl's back, looking for any obvious signs of injuries.

"It'll be quicker if we take her in ourselves."

"She might have a spinal injury. We can't risk moving her."

Olivia bit her bottom lip, knowing that Elliot was right. She'd never forgive herself if they moved Belinda and she ended up paralyzed or worse. She reached down and grabbed the portable radio that was clipped to her pocket. She pushed the button and spoke into the radio, quickly rattling off the address and the need for an ambulance. She clipped the radio back to her pocket and looked up at Elliot. "I knew something was wrong," she shook her head. "I should have listened to that instinct sooner and come over here earlier."

"Honey…" Elliot began.

She shook her head, cutting him off. "I could have stopped this, prevented them from hurting her again."

"This is not the way I wanted it to happen," Elliot spoke softly. "But this does give us the upper hand in fighting for custody of her."

Olivia gently brushed Belinda's hair back again with tears in her eyes. "You don't understand…"

"Understand what?"

"I promised," Olivia said as a few tears slipped down her face. "I promised her that I wouldn't let her get hurt again."

"This is not your fault, Liv. And I promise that Lindy knows that. She's not going to be mad at you."

"Maybe not. But I wouldn't blame her if she didn't trust me anymore."

"Liv," Elliot reached over and gently touched his wife's shoulder. "You did everything in your power to make sure Lindy's safe. She knows that and she's not going to stop trusting you now."

Olivia opened her mouth to speak again but stopped when the sound of emergency sirens filled the air around them.

Elliot quickly stood and hurried around the outside of the house. He returned, only moments later, followed by two paramedics with a gurney.

"What happened?" one of the paramedics asked as they too dropped down to their knees to get a better look at Belinda.

"We don't know," Olivia answered, still holding onto one of Belinda's hands.

One of the paramedics looked up at her with a frown of confusion.

"We just found her a few minutes ago," Olivia snapped. "She didn't call me this afternoon… she always calls. I knew something was wrong when she didn't call, so we came over to check on her. And this is how we found her, we didn't move her in case she has a spinal injury."

The paramedic nodded, accepting Olivia's explanation. "She was unconscious when you found her?"

"Yes," she answered with a curt nod.

"Alright," the paramedic moved closer to the unconscious teen. "Move back, please," he spoke kindly. "So I can help her."

Olivia reluctantly let go of Belinda's hand and stood. She moved back, but only a couple of steps. She wanted to remain close enough to keep an eye on the young girl that she loved and adored as her own.

Moments later, Olivia began to climb into the back of the ambulance after Belinda's gurney was loaded. She was stopped by one of the paramedics.

"You can't ride along, Ma'am," he said as he reached to close the door.

Olivia quickly pulled her badge from her pocket with one hand, while grabbing the door before it shut with her other hand. "Special Victims Unit," her eyes flashed with anger as she shoved her badge in the paramedic's face. "I _**WILL**_ be riding along."

"I'm sorry, Detective," the paramedic apologized immediately. "I didn't know that you're a cop."

Olivia nodded and put her badge away before climbing on board.

"I'll call Cragen and meet you in the ER," Elliot called to her just before the ambulance doors slammed shut.

~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~

Half an hour later, Olivia stood, leaning back against the wall of an ER bay. The paramedics as well as the nurses and on-call doctor had tried to send her to the lobby. But she used her badge to allow her access to stay with Belinda. Olivia rarely, if ever, used her badge to defy set rules; but this was an exception, this was Belinda. She felt like she had already let the child down and she wasn't about to let her down again, not when it was in her power to do differently. She made sure to give the medical personnel room to work; but at the same time, never let Belinda out of her sight. She didn't care how long it took, she was determined to be right there when the young girl regained consciousness.

It wasn't long before Belinda began to stir. The doctor continued treatment without taking notice. Suddenly, the teen's eyes opened wide in surprise, unsure of where she was or what was happening. Feeling completely overwhelmed and totally disoriented, Belinda couldn't stop the sobs that escaped her lips.

Olivia immediately jerked into action. She pushed away from the wall and rushed over to the gurney, pushing the doctor out of the way. "Lindy," she said as she leaned over and took the girl's face between her hands. "Hey, hey, hey. Shhh Lindy, it's ok, I'm right here," she gently brushed Belinda's tears away.

"Livvy?" Belinda continued to cry as she looked up at the familiar touch and voice.

"I'm right here, Baby. I'm right here. It's ok. Don't cry, Sweetheart, don't cry," she soothed softly as tears fell from her own eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," the young girl sobbed brokenly.

"For what?" Olivia asked. "What are you sorry for, Angel?"

"It's my fault, it's my fault, my fault," Belinda continued crying as she repeated herself over and over again.

"What? What's your fault?"

"I made him mad. It's my fault, I made him mad."

"Excuse me," the doctor broke in as he tried to move back to Belinda's bedside to resume treatment.

Belinda looked up at the sound of the doctor's voice and her face filled with fear. She began to sob harder. "No, please…" she looked back to Olivia, the terror obvious in her eyes. "Please…" she begged.

Olivia nodded in understanding, knowing exactly what the young girl wanted without her having to say anything more. "Ok, Darling. Shhh…" she shushed gently. Without letting go of Belinda's face, Olivia looked back at the doctor. "We need a female doctor in here."

"There's no female physician on call this evening," the doctor replied as he tried to edge Olivia out of the way.

Belinda reached up and gripped both of Olivia's wrists as the detective continued to hold her face gently between her hands.

"Then, I suggest you call one," Olivia's tone was sharp and unrelenting.

The doctor moved closer and Belinda watched his every move. He leaned over; but before he could even touch her again, Belinda screamed at the top of her lungs.

Olivia moved back to where she was, shoving the doctor away. "Forget it. I'll call one myself. Get out!" she spoke harshly to the man. Then turning her attention back to Belinda, her tone softened and she spoke kindly, trying to calm the girl's fears. "Shhh, it's ok. I got you. I won't let him touch you again. Take a breath, Sweetheart." She leaned over and gently kissed Belinda's forehead. "You're safe now."

"I wanna go," the young teen sobbed. "Please, I wanna go away from here. I wanna go home with you. Please take me with you."

Olivia looked up at the doctor who still stood at the entrance of the ER bay. "Is there any reason she can't be released?"

The doctor frowned. "I wouldn't recommend it, not yet."

"Is there a life threatening reason that she can't be released?"

"No… but she really should stay for observation overnight. And a doctor still needs to finish examining her from where I left off."

Olivia nodded, "Get her discharge papers. I have a friend, a female doctor who can finish."

"I really wouldn't recommend her leaving."

"Get her discharge papers."

"You'll be leaving AMA…"

"Against medical advise," Olivia responded. "I know. Now go get her discharge papers or I'll find someone else who will."

The doctor turned on his heel and hurried away, muttering under his breath.

Once the ER bay was emptied, with the exception of Belinda and Olivia, the young girl began to calm down. Tears still rolled down her face, but she was no longer sobbing.

"That's my girl," Olivia smiled as she wiped away Belinda's tears. "I know you don't want to be around any men right now," she spoke softly. "But will it be ok if Elliot carries you out of here? You won't have to worry about a male nurse or orderly pushing you out in a wheelchair."

"You'll stay with me, right?"

"Absolutely," she reassured the teen.

"Alright," Belinda nodded slightly without taking her eyes off of Olivia.

Olivia finally let go of the young girl's face and raised up, fishing in her jeans pocket for her cell phone.

Belinda gasped slightly and grabbed ahold of Olivia's hand before she moved out of reach.

"I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere," she promised with a smile as she wrapped Belinda's hand in her own. With remarkable speed and ease, Olivia typed and sent a text one-handedly. Then she slid her phone back into her pocket before gently sitting on the edge of the gurney.

Out in the lobby, Elliot pulled his cell phone out of his pocket when his text tone alert sounded. "It's Liv," he said to the others, who were waiting with him for any word on Belinda. He quickly accepted the text and opened it

"_Come to bay 4. I need you to carry Lindy out. No other male, only you. __We're taking her home with us. Need to call Melinda for medical attention and __Casey for custody."_

After reading the text twice, Elliot looked over at his Captain and colleagues. "We're taking Lindy home. I need to go help Liv."

Cragen nodded, "Keep me posted. If I can do anything…" his voice trailed off.

"Actually," Elliot began. "Would you call Casey and ask her to meet us at our house ASAP?"

"Of course," Cragen answered as he pulled out his cell phone.

Elliot looked over at Fin. "Melinda too? Please?"

"You got it," Fin replied as he stood and moved a few feet away to make the call.

"Thanks," Elliot nodded in gratitude, then turned and hurried over to the entrance of the ER treatment area. He flashed his badge at the nurse sitting at the front desk and she immediately opened the doors, allowing him entrance. He quickly made his way to bay 4 and stopped at the entryway. "Hey there," he greeted quietly. "How you doing, kiddo? Humm?"

Belinda looked over from where she was sitting next to Olivia on the gurney. She tried to smile but failed. "Hey," she answered softly.

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah," she nodded and watched as Elliot stepped just inside the bay, being careful to keep from startling her. "It's ok," she said. "I'm not scared of you. You've been nothing but good to me. I trust you."

He smiled at the young girl. "Good, I'm glad. I'd feel bad if you were afraid of me."

Tears pooled in Belinda's eyes again. "I just want out of here."

"As soon as we get your discharge papers, we'll go home."

She gasped slightly as she looked up at Elliot then back to Olivia. "I don't wanna go home, I don't wanna go back to them."

"Shhh, Baby," Olivia soothed. "Elliot meant our home."

Belinda sighed in relief and wiped away a couple of tears that had managed to escape. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"It's ok," Elliot answered as he stepped closer. "You've been through a lot. I'd be worried if you weren't upset and scared."

"Excuse me," a nurse said as she stepped into the bay with some papers.

"Are those her discharge papers?" Olivia asked.

"Yes ma'am. I need to go over some instructions with you."

Olivia shook her head. "That's not necessary. We're going to a friend who's a doctor. Just let me sign the papers so we can go."

The nurse nodded reluctantly as she handed over the papers.

Olivia quickly signed the designated spots and handed them back. She folded the papers that were Belinda's to keep and stuck them in her pocket.

Elliot moved over to Belinda and asked kindly instead of just assuming. "Can I pick you up?"

Belinda nodded. "I don't think I could walk very far…" she sighed, "I'm really sore."

"That's because you've got bruises, literally all over," Olivia responded quietly.

Elliot gently lifted Belinda into his arms, being as gentle as possible, and carried her toward the exit.

Olivia followed closely behind, smiling as Belinda relaxed into Elliot's embrace, laying her head on his shoulder.

Fifteen minutes later, they pulled into their driveway and Olivia was pleased to find Casey and Melinda already there, waiting on them.

Elliot retrieved Belinda from the back seat, lifting her into his arms again as Olivia hurried over to quickly inform their friends of what had happened.

Once inside the house, Elliot carried Belinda upstairs to the bedroom where she had stayed before and gently laid her on the bed.

Olivia stayed close by as Melinda began to look the girl over; and Elliot stepped into the next room to talk to Casey.

"My gosh," Casey breathed. "What happened to that child?"

"We don't know for sure, but I can guarantee we already know _**WHO**_ did it," Elliot answered, trying his best to remain calm.

Casey nodded, knowing exactly who he was referring to.

"She was unconscious when we found her," he continued.

"Where did you find her?"

"Laying on her stomach in the gravel driveway in her back yard."

"Anyone else around?" Casey asked, as she made a few quick notes on the notepad she held.

"No," Elliot responded. "No one else was home. Please tell me we can get custody of her this time."

"I'm going to do my best."

"She's terrified of them! You know who did this, Casey!" he exclaimed, trying to keep his voice quiet.

"I know," she answered. "But I'm going to have to hear it from her before I can do anything about it."

"Ask her."

"I will, but I want to give Melinda time to finish examining her first."

"Please Casey," Elliot looked over at the attorney. "You know I don't beg, but I'll beg for this if I have to."

"I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you get custody, I promise. You don't have to beg."

"Thank you," he nodded. "This means a lot to Liv… to both of us."

"I know. You don't have to thank me. I know how much you two love that little girl." Casey said as they walked across the hall and into the room where Melinda was finishing up her exam.

"Hey Beautiful," Elliot smiled as they approached the bed. "Feeling better?"

"A little," Belinda responded with a small smile. "Thanks for bringing me here." Her voice softened to almost a whisper. "I feel safe here."

"That's because you _**ARE**_ safe here," Olivia said as she dropped a kiss on top of the teen's head.

Belinda reached out and took one of Olivia's hands between both of her own hands, holding to the detective as if she was a lifeline.

"You're safe here, you're safe with me, with us," she repeated, trying to assure the young girl.

Casey looked to Melinda, "How is she?"

"No broken bones or life threatening injuries, but lots of bruising," Melinda answered.

"Lots? How much are we talking?" Casey asked, jotting down more notes on her notepad.

"I'm surprised she can stand to sit or to lay on her back," Melinda responded honestly. "Her back, along with the back of her legs and arms are all pretty much a solid bruise."

"Belinda?" Casey asked as she knelt down beside the bed to get eye level with her. "Who did this to you?"

Belinda looked away, a blush spreading across her cheeks. "I know I shouldn't have let them…"

"Oh Honey," Olivia spoke gently. "We know you didn't let anyone do anything. It was beyond your control."

"Liv's right," Casey said as she gently touched Belinda's cheek, causing the girl to look at her. "I just need to hear it come straight from you, so I can file an emergency petition for Liv and El, for custody of you."

Tears filled Belinda's eyes yet again and she nodded.

"Tell me who did this to you," Casey requested again, her voice soft and kind.

"My…" she hesitated and squeezed her eyes shut, hating the words that were about to come out of her mouth. "My dad and his brother," she said without opening her eyes. "They… they pushed me down face first in the gravel… and then… then got on top of me and wouldn't quit hitting me until I lost consciousness," tears rolled out from underneath her closed eyelids as quiet sobs took over her body.

Olivia leaned over and gently pulled the young girl into her arms, being careful of her bruised body. "Shhh, I've got you, Baby. I've got you," she shushed softly as tears rolled down her own face.

Casey reached over and laid a hand on Belinda's back. "Thank you for trusting me," she whispered. She pushed herself up from her knees then leaned over and dropped a gentle kiss to the back of the crying teen's head. She looked from Olivia to Elliot, "I'm going to go file an emergency custody petition right now."

"Thank you," Olivia responded as she continued to gently rock Belinda in her arms.

Elliot nodded as well, "We owe you for this."

"Nonsense," Casey replied. "That's what friends are for." With one more quick look around the room, she walked out, calling over her shoulder. "I'll be in touch as soon as I know anything, but call me if you need me before then."

Belinda slowly pulled back, remaining in Olivia's embrace, and looked up at the detective. "I… I uh…" she bit her bottom lip. "I… I need to talk to you."

"I'm right here, Angel. What is it?"

"Alone," she whispered as she tried, unsuccessfully, to stop the tears.

Olivia looked up at Elliot and Melinda. "Can you guys give us a minute?"

"Sure," Elliot said as he started toward the door. "Melinda can tell me what we can do to help Lindy feel better. We'll be in the living room."

"Thanks," Belinda said. She leaned against Olivia and waited until she heard Elliot and Melinda's footsteps retreat downstairs.

"What is it, Love?" Olivia asked gently.

"I… I think I'm pregnant," she whispered. "Again." Tears rolled freely down her cheeks.

Olivia held her a little closer. "Well," she whispered in response. "We'll find out for sure. And if you are, then we'll deal with it. It'll be okay."

"If I am…" Belinda sniffled as even more fresh tears streamed down her face. "I don't want an abortion."

"We'd never make you have an abortion, Darling. If you're pregnant, then it's your decision what to do. We'll support you no matter what you decide," Olivia spoke softly. "But let's make sure before you rush into any decisions."

Belinda nodded, trying to stop her tears.

"Lindy, I need to ask you something."

"Humm?"

"Who's the father?"

She bit her bottom lip, trying to stop the sobs that overtook her.

"It's ok, Angel. It's ok. Just tell me," Olivia soothed as she held Belinda close, trying to calm her. "You're not in any trouble, I promise."

"It… It wasn't… what do you call it? Consensual?"

"Oh, Sweetheart," Olivia whispered. "I was afraid of that."

"I… I'm afraid…"

"No one's going to hurt you again, I swear. No matter what I have to do, no one will ever hurt you again," she promised as she continued to rock the young girl soothingly. "Tell me who it was, Baby. Tell me who the father is."

"I… I'm not sure," Belinda cried as she buried her face in Olivia's shoulder.

"Ok," Olivia whispered. "Just tell me, Honey."

"It might be my dad's co-worker," she whispered.

"But?" Olivia encouraged as she continued to hold the young girl close.

"But…" Belinda hesitated for a moment. "But it could be…" her cheeks flamed crimson as embarrassment flooded through her.

"Who, Sweetheart? Who?"

"My…" her words were barely understandable through her embarrassment, tears and sobs; but yet Olivia understood her perfectly as Belinda answered. "My dad… or his brother."

* * *

_**A/N 2: Again, Belinda is pregnant "again"… What does that mean for her past? Will Belinda allow Olivia to share her secret with Elliot and Melinda? Will Liv and El actually get custody of Lindy this time? Will Casey able to pull through for them? Want answers? You know what to do! Leave me a review!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: I own only Belinda! SVU and all recognizable characters belong to Dick Wolf.**_

_**A/N: Many thanks and much love to my awesome betas! I can never thank you enough for all of your help!**_

_**To the readers: many thanks for the truly motivating reviews! You are great! Please continue to review and let me know what you think!**_

_**In this chapter, we finally see a little bit of justice for Belinda and a small victory for Olivia and Elliot in their quest to help the troubled teenager. But will it last?**_

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Chapter Four

Two hours later, Olivia slipped out of the guest bedroom and closed the door behind her. Changing her mind, she quietly opened the door again and left it open just a crack so she could hear Belinda if she needed her during the night. She sighed and rubbed her face with both hands then slowly made her way downstairs.

Elliot and Melinda looked up as Olivia entered the living room.

"How's Lindy?" Elliot asked.

"She's. . ." Olivia hesitated a moment. "She's asleep. She cried herself to sleep."

"Poor child." Melinda shook her head. "She's been through so much."

"Much more than you know," Olivia responded.

"She told you something after we left the room," Elliot said as he reached up from his place on the couch and gently pulled his wife down beside him.

She nodded then leaned over and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Anything I need to know?" Melinda raised one eyebrow questioningly.

"When you come back, will you bring a pregnancy test with you?"

Melinda quietly blew out a breath. "I have one in my bag. I can leave it with you if you want me to."

"Thanks," Olivia spoke quietly without raising her head.

"There's more?" Elliot asked, knowing there was something that she wasn't saying.

"Yeah," she sighed. "But I can't say what it is. I can't betray Lindy's confidence. She'll tell you when she's ready."

"That bad?" Elliot asked.

"Worse," she whispered as tears pooled in her eyes.

"Honey. . ." Elliot sat up and gently raised Olivia's head from his shoulder. "What is it? Tell me," he requested, his voice dripping with concern.

"I can't. . ." her voice cracked as she slowly turned her gaze to her husband. She wiped away the tears and repeated even quieter than before. "I can't."

"Alright," he whispered his agreement as he pulled her closer again.

"It's getting late. I better go home," Melinda said as she rummaged through her medical bag. She pulled out a small rectangular box and placed it on the coffee table then rummaged through her bag again. "There's a home pregnancy test. Belinda can take it whenever she's ready. And here's some pain medication," she said as she pulled out a bottle of pills. "If the pregnancy test is negative, she can have two pills every six to eight hours. If the test is positive, don't give her any of these," she explained as she sat the pill bottle next to the test on the coffee table. "Let me know and I'll find something for her that's mild enough to take during pregnancy. It's best not to take any pain medication while pregnant, but with the extent of beating she took, she's gonna have to have some sort of pain relief."

Olivia nodded in understanding. "Lindy's probably not going to feel like taking the test until morning."

"That's fine," Melinda answered. "Just call me if you need anything, anytime."

"Thank you for. . ." Olivia paused to swallow back a wave of fresh tears, her voice cracked with emotion as she quietly spoke. "For everything."

A small smile graced Melinda's face. "You don't need to thank me. I just hope Casey gets this case into night court and wins." She glanced toward the stairs. "That little girl needs somebody in her corner; she needs you."

"She's got us," Elliot answered. "Forever. We'll fight to keep her if we have to; we'll do whatever we have to do."

"I know you will," Melinda nodded as she stood and pulled her keys out. "And I meant it when I said anytime. I don't care what time it is; call me if you need me. I'll come back to check on Belinda tomorrow, but don't hesitate to call if she needs me before then."

Olivia stood and gave her friend a quick hug before walking her to the door.

When she returned to the living room, Elliot was still sitting on the couch. He opened his arms to her and she gladly moved into his embrace, lowering herself onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and gently tucked her against his chest.

"We can do this," she whispered against his cheek.

"Of course we can," he answered with quiet encouragement.

After a moment of silence, Elliot spoke softly. "Do you think Lindy's pregnant again?"

"There's a good possibility that she is," she answered with a sigh.

"Ok." He tightened his arms around his wife. "Well, if she is, we'll just deal with it."

"That's exactly what I said." She nodded as she curled up in his lap and laid her head against his chest. "She told me that if she's pregnant, she doesn't want to have an abortion."

"That sounds like Lindy. She has such a soft, loving heart." He smiled. "She doesn't have to have one if she doesn't want it. We can work things out."

"If the state lets us adopt her. . . and if she's pregnant. . . and if she wants to keep the baby. . ." She let her question hang in the silence between them.

"Well. . ." Elliot answered after a few seconds. "Then she keeps the baby and we do everything we can to help her."

Olivia smiled as she relaxed into her husband. "I knew you'd feel the same way I do."

They sat, cuddled together, in companionable silence for awhile.

Olivia was just beginning to doze off in Elliot's arms when she was startled awake by the ringing of her cell phone. She raised up just enough to retrieve it from her pants' pocket.

"Is it Cragen?" Elliot asked, assuming it was their boss calling them to a late night crime scene.

"No," she answered with a hopeful smile.

Elliot nodded once and leaned back a little further into the couch as his wife settled against him again.

She tapped the touch screen of her iPhone to accept the call and raised the phone to her ear. "Case?" she questioned.

"Hey," came Casey's reply. "I just got out of night court."

Pulling the phone away from her face, Olivia quickly activated the speaker phone and held it out so Elliot could hear as well. "What did the judge say?" Olivia asked nervously.

"You have immediate, temporary, emergency custody of Belinda," Casey's voice flooded through the phone line and flowed into the living room.

"Thank God…" Olivia breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"And…" Casey paused briefly before continuing. "There's a temporary order of protection in place. No one from Belinda's family is allowed within 500 feet of her or of you two."

"We owe you, Casey." Elliot said as he tucked Olivia under his arm and held her close.

"It's just temporary," Casey warned.

"That's ok," Olivia answered. "It's progress."

"True," Casey agreed. "At least this judge listened and didn't return her to her parents' custody."

"I know how much you hate going to night court, Case." Olivia's voice cracked with appreciation.

"I do. But for you guys and for Belinda… I don't mind."

"Thank you." The tears were evident in Olivia's voice.

"A court date will be set to determine permanent custody. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure it goes before Judge Donnelly."

"Good," Elliot responded. "Liz knows us and she's familiar with Belinda's situation as well as her past."

"We'll have a better chance with Liz than any of the other judges," Olivia agreed.

"I can't promise that she will be your trial judge, but I'm going to do my best to get it before her," Casey said with a yawn.

"I know you're exhausted," Olivia remarked. "You already had a long day in court and then all of this tonight. Thank you for pulling a late night for us."

"That's what friends are for," Casey replied as she tried to stifle another yawn.

"Go home and get some rest," Elliot encouraged.

"I will. You guys get some rest too; you both sound exhausted."

"Yeah, I think we're headed to bed pretty soon," Olivia answered with a yawn of her own.

"How's Belinda?" The concern was evident in Casey's voice.

"Not so good."

"I was afraid of that," Casey sighed. "In a lot of pain?"

"Yeah, but she can't take any pain meds yet."

"None? Is she pregnant?"

"Umm," Olivia hesitated, surprised at her friend's insight.

"She is, isn't she?" Casey asked gently.

"She might be," Olivia answered softly. "We're not sure yet. Melinda left a test for her to take."

"Okay," Casey sighed. "Any thoughts on what you're going to do?"

Olivia looked to Elliot as they held a silent conversation with their eyes.

"You still there?" Casey's voice flowed through the speaker phone.

"Yeah," Elliot answered. He took a breath before answering for his wife. "We're not sure yet. We're waiting to make any decisions until we know for sure if she's pregnant or not."

"Well either way, whether she's pregnant or not, she's in good hands. You have her best interest at heart and no matter what happens, you'll handle it. And you have me here too; I'll help in any, and I mean _**ANY**_ way I can."

"Thanks. We might be taking you up on that." Olivia sighed tiredly.

"Go home," Elliot added gently. "Get some rest."

"I will," Casey replied. "You too. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Thanks again." The exhaustion was evident in Olivia's voice.

"Good Night."

"Night, Case," Olivia replied before touching the red button, effectively ending the call and slipping the phone back into her pants' pocket.

"You're exhausted," Elliot spoke quietly as she leaned against him again.

"Yeah," she mumbled into her husband's chest. "So are you."

"Let's go to bed," he whispered.

"Umm humm," she mumbled without moving as her eyes drifted shut.

Elliot chuckled softly and shifted her slightly.

"Uhh," she protested the movement without opening her eyes.

"Hang on, Love. I've got you," he spoke quietly as he shifted her again, getting her into a position where he could easily stand up without having to make her stand. He slowly rose to his feet, his wife still cradled in his arms. He laughed as Olivia sensed where they were without opening her eyes; they passed through the living room archway and her arm darted out, flipping the light switch off. "That's my girl." He smiled as he kissed the side of her head. He carried her upstairs to the master bedroom and gently laid her on their king-sized bed. "You gotta wake up a little bit, honey."

Olivia groaned in response and rolled over, burying her face in her pillow.

"Just a little bit." Elliot grinned as he retrieved her pajamas from the dresser drawer and put them on the bed beside her. "Just enough to change into your PJs." He waited a moment and when she didn't move, he prodded gently. "Come on; you won't be comfortable if you sleep in your work clothes."

She groaned again and slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Ok, ok."

Satisfied that she was on the move, he retrieved his own pajamas from the dresser and slipped into the in-room master bathroom. He only took a couple of minutes to change and then returned to their bedroom. Finding Olivia already changed and under the covers, he smiled as he flipped out the light and joined her in bed. "Good night, Beloved," he whispered as he reached across the bed and pulled her into his arms.

Settling into his embrace and snuggling against him, Olivia mumbled sleepily. "Night, Babe."

~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~EO~~

Several hours later, Elliot and Olivia were jerked from a sound sleep as a blood curdling scream echoed down the hallway and into their bedroom.

Instantly wide awake, they both scrambled out of bed, rushed out of the room and down the hall to the guest bedroom.

Olivia burst through the door that she had left open a crack earlier in the night and hurried over to flip on the bedside lamp. "Lindy, Sweetheart?" she asked anxiously as she moved to the bed where Belinda sat upright, fighting to catch her breath. Being mindful of her injuries, she quickly but gently pulled the terrified teenager into her arms. "What is it? What's wrong, Baby?"

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_**A/N 2: What has Belinda so scared? Will Liv and El's temporary custody turn into permanent custody or will they run into more roadblocks? Is Belinda really pregnant or is it a false alarm? Will Belinda open up more to Melinda and Casey? **_

_**Leave me a review and let me know what you think! Please?**_


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